“I see her!” he suddenly shouted in rapture. “Sallie’s still there, fellows! I can tell her among the lot. There, she sees me, I think, for the darling is waving her handkerchief! She wants me to hurry along, fellows; perhaps the blessed waterlogged power boat is getting ready to dip under! Can’t you throw on just a little more speed, Herb? Please do, to oblige me.”
No one thought to laugh, nor did Josh come up true to his name just then; for somehow they seemed to understand that it was a grave matter, and no time for joking.
Jack could see the figures on the partly submerged boat with the naked eye now, they were getting so close.
“Do you see the other girl, Rita Andrews?” he asked Jimmie; and was more pleased than he cared to show when the Irish boy answered in the affirmative.
“Oh! I only hope we get there in time!” groaned Nick, as he fumbled at the cork life preserver, as though intending to put it on again.
“What are you going to do with that thing, Buster?” demanded Herb, sharply.
“Get it around me,” the other replied, unblushingly.
“But you won’t need it; there’s not the least chance of our upsetting now.”
“All the same,” Nick responded, calmly; “how do I know but I may have to jump overboard after Sallie? She might slip in her great joy at seeing her preserver so near. And a pretty fellow I’d be not to keep myself ready to do the hero act. Besides, Herb, how do we know that the bally old boat mayn’t take a notion to duck under, just when we get close by? I believe in being prepared.”